- Source
- Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.107.1-1.107.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-24
While Athens begins constructing its long walls, a Lacedaemonian force aids Doris but becomes stranded in Boeotia due to blocked retreat routes. Fearing Spartan designs and democratic subversion, the Athenians march out with an allied army.
ἤρξαντο δὲ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους τούτους καὶ τὰ μακρὰ τείχη Ἀθηναῖοι ἐς θάλασσαν οἰκοδομεῖν, τό τε Φαληρόνδε καὶ τὸ ἐς Πειραιᾶ.
At about this time, the Athenians also began to build their long walls down to the sea, both the one to Phalerum and the one to Piraeus.
καὶ Φωκέων στρατευσάντων ἐς Δωριᾶς τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων μητρόπολιν, Βοιὸν καὶ Κυτίνιον καὶ Ἐρινεόν, καὶ ἑλόντων ἓν τῶν πολισμάτων τούτων, οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι Νικομήδους τοῦ Κλεομβρότου ὑπὲρ Πλειστοάνακτος1 τοῦ Παυσανίου βασιλέως νέου ὄντος ἔτι ἡγουμένου ἐβοήθησαν τοῖς Δωριεῦσιν ἑαυτῶν τε πεντακοσίοις καὶ χιλίοις ὁπλίταις καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων μυρίοις, καὶ τοὺς Φωκέας ὁμολογίᾳ ἀναγκάσαντες ἀποδοῦναι τὴν πόλιν ἀπεχώρουν πάλιν.
And when the Phocians made an expedition against Doris, the homeland of the Lacedaemonians—namely Boeum, Cytinium, and Erineum—and captured one of these towns, the Lacedaemonians came to the aid of the Dorians. They were led by Nicomedes, the son of Cleombrotus, acting on behalf of King Pleistoanax, the son of Pausanias, who was still a minor; their force consisted of fifteen hundred hoplites of their own and ten thousand of their allies. Having compelled the Phocians by treaty to restore the town, they began their retreat.
καὶ κατὰ θάλασσαν μὲν αὐτούς, διὰ τοῦ Κρισαίου κόλπου εἰ βούλοιντο περαιοῦσθαι, Ἀθηναῖοι ναυσὶ περιπλεύσαντες ἔμελλον κωλύσειν· διὰ δὲ τῆς Γερανείας οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς αὐτοῖς ἐφαίνετο Ἀθηναίων ἐχόντων Μέγαρα καὶ Πηγὰς πορεύεσθαι. δύσοδός τε γὰρ ἡ Γερανεία καὶ ἐφρουρεῖτο αἰεὶ ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων, καὶ τότε ᾐσθάνοντο αὐτοὺς μέλλοντας καὶ ταύτῃ κωλύσειν.
Now if they wished to cross by sea through the Crisean Gulf, the Athenians were ready to prevent them by sailing around with their ships; while to march through Geraneia did not seem safe to them, since the Athenians held Megara and Pegae. For Geraneia was difficult to pass and was always guarded by the Athenians, and they perceived at that time that the Athenians were intending to block them by this route as well.
ἔδοξε δ’ αὐτοῖς ἐν Βοιωτοῖς περιμείνασι σκέψασθαι ὅτῳ τρόπῳ ἀσφαλέστατα διαπορεύσονται. τὸ δέ τι2 καὶ ἄνδρες τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἐπῆγον αὐτοὺς κρύφα, ἐλπίσαντες δῆμόν τε καταπαύσειν καὶ τὰ μακρὰ τείχη οἰκοδομούμενα.3
So they resolved to remain in Boeotia and consider in what way they might cross most safely. But they were also secretly encouraged to do this by certain men among the Athenians, who hoped to put an end to the democracy and to the construction of the long walls.
ἐβοήθησαν δὲ ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι πανδημεὶ καὶ Ἀργείων χίλιοι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ξυμμάχων ὡς ἕκαστοι· ξύμπαντες δὲ ἐγένοντο τετρακισχίλιοι καὶ μύριοι.
The Athenians marched out against them with their entire force, together with one thousand Argives and the other allies as they severally came; they amounted in all to fourteen thousand men.
νομίσαντες δὲ ἀπορεῖν ὅπῃ διέλθωσιν4 ἐπεστράτευσαν αὐτοῖς, καί τι καὶ τοῦ δήμου καταλύσεως ὑποψίᾳ.
They marched against them because they believed they were at a loss how to pass through, and also partly from suspicion of a conspiracy to overthrow the democracy.
ἦλθον δὲ καὶ Θεσσαλῶν ἱππῆς τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις κατὰ τὸ ξυμμαχικόν, οἳ μετέστησαν ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ παρὰ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους.
There came also to the Athenians, in accordance with the alliance, some Thessalian cavalry, who during the action deserted to the Lacedaemonians.
- 1.107.2ὑπὲρ Πλειστοάνακτος
The preposition ὑπέρ with the genitive here means 'on behalf of' or 'acting for' the young King Pleistoanax. Since Pleistoanax was still a minor, his uncle Nicomedes exercised the military command in his stead.
- 1.107.4τὸ δέ τι
An adverbial accusative phrase meaning 'partly' or 'in some measure.' It indicates that the Lacedaemonians' delay in Boeotia was motivated not only by physical obstacles but also by political encouragement from oligarchic sympathizers within Athens.
- 1.107.4τὰ μακρὰ τείχη οἰκοδομούμενα
The present passive participle οἰκοδομούμενα, agreeing with τὰ μακρὰ τείχη, functions with καταπαύσειν to mean 'putting a stop to the building of the long walls.' The noun-participle combination represents an action in progress.
- 1.107.6νομίσαντες δὲ ἀπορεῖν ὅπῃ διέλθωσιν
The subject of the infinitive ἀπορεῖν is the omitted accusative 'the Lacedaemonians,' not the Athenians who are the subject of the main verb. The verb διέλθωσιν in the indirect question is a deliberative subjunctive, expressing their dilemma about how to return.